Russia may not be on many people’s bucket list, but that is mostly because there are a lot of common misconceptions about it. Everyone thinks that Russia is cold all year round and that everyone drinks vodka. While the last one is somewhat true, nobody is making you drink it. Even so, you will find a lot of contrast in Russia. Regardless of many misconceptions, there is a lot of surface area to explore. As with any other country, there are plenty of things you need to know before you hop on the plane, but rest assured that following the Russian etiquette is not that complicated. As long as you keep in mind that Russia is a traditional country, you should get around just fine.
The first myth that needs to be debunked about Russia is concerns the weather. Yes, Russia can have some brutal temperatures in the winter, but the mercury in thermometers can easily reach 30 degrees Celsius during the summer. Sometimes, it is even hotter. So if you do not know what to pack, consider the season Russia is in. However, when it is cold in Russia, the problem is not the low temperature, but the water. You need to make sure that you will not get wet. If you go to one of Russia’s cities in the winter, you need to pack waterproof boots and extra pairs of socks. The snow melts very fast in the cities, and it turns into a snowy mud that is able to get your feet soaked in just an instant. Other than that, hats, thick scarves, and gloves are a must in the summer.
Russia is a traditional country, but not in a sense you would think. Even so, you need to dress decently at times. For example, Russia is mainly an orthodox country, and if you want to visit one of their churches, you need to obey some simple rules. Men should always wear long pants and have nothing that covers their heads. Women, on the other hand, need to wear a scarf on their head, cover their shoulders and knees. Long skirts are to be preferred, although long pants are more common. Speaking of dress codes, Russians do not wear sandals or flip-flops on the street. It is considered of poor taste. It may be hot, but surely you can find other kinds of shoes that can keep you cool.
One of the things that all tourists love when they go to Russia is the cuisine. They have a lot of dishes that are not very common in the rest of the world. One dish that you need to try is the borscht, some kind of beetroot soup. But it is sour, and if you add some heavy cream, you will lick your fingers for days. Of course, there is the possibility of not liking it at all, but you do not know until you try. Unlike the rest of the European countries, Russia’s tap water is not safe to drink. It is recommended that you avoid it. Once you turn on the faucet, brown water will come first before clearing. You should stick to bottled water your entire trip.
As for the vodka, something that everyone is eager to know, Russian people do drink vodka. They even drink a lot of it in some parts of the country. However, if you cannot keep up, which is most likely, all you have to do is leave some of the vodka in your glass. It is a sign that you do not want to drink more for the time being. Once Russians open a bottle, they will not stop until it is empty. That is some sort of tradition for them. Leaving a bottle of vodka half full is a bad sign for unclear reason.
When you go to Russia, you are expected to respect the local customs. For example, if you go to someone’s home, it is a custom to bring a gift. You do not have to spend too much money on it. It is a simple sign of good will. Dress code is also something Russians hold dear. You will not offend anyone if you are underdressed, but you will feel bad if you go to a restaurant or to the opera in casual wear. When you pack, make sure that you add something formal to your wardrobe.
Russia is a very large country, and one of the best ways to get from point A to point B is by train. First class tickets are very expensive, which is why you should travel on the third class. It is not as fancy, but you have a place to sleep if you travel at night. However, do not rely on a train’s kitchen for food. It is either non-existent, or the food is too expensive for the quality it has. Before any trip by train, go to a supermarket and grab something to eat. At least you will not spend a lot of money on poorly made food.
One of the many common misconceptions about Russia is that it is not a safe country. However, that is not true. It is quite the contrary, actually. Petty crimes like pickpocketing are common, but so are in other countries. You need to take caution for that to not happen. Keep your bag close to your body when you go out, and avoid flashing all your devices or jewelry. As long as you are cautious, you will be fine.
You will have a very good time in Russia. The opera is exquisite in big cities, and you cannot leave the country without visiting the Red Square. Plus, you can bring as souvenirs the famous dolls called matryoshka. The people are generally okay, but they are not as open as in other countries. Even so, with a few Russian words in your vocabulary and respect for their traditions, you will get along with them just fine.
An e-Visa is an official document permitting entry into and travel within a certain country. The e-Visa is an alternative to visas issued at the ports of entry or visiting an embassy/consulate to obtain traditional paper visas.
e-Visas are linked electronically to the traveler's passport.
Our service starts with information. You can use our up-to-date visa requirements tool to search if you need a travel visa. It's as simple as telling us where you are from and where you are going. Based on this information we will tell you how much the visa costs, the number of entries, the start date and give you an action step such as applying directly on our site!
The best place to find this information is our visa requirement tool. Each country has different entry rules and visa fees. If you are in a rush you can also apply online and the form will give you this information as well.
It depends on the country issuing the visa. For many countries such as Australia ETA and Turkey e-Visa, the process can be done in 15 minutes through our rush service. For other countries such as the India tourist Visa, the process usually takes 24 hours. The exact time can be found on each application form. What we guarantee is that your application with iVisa will be the fastest way to apply anywhere.
We help you get your travel visa in the simplest and fastest way possible. Through easy-to-use online application forms and world-class 24/7 customer service, we make the whole visa process quick and simple! We also use best practices when it comes to protecting your data and credit card.
iVisa offers two types of Visa: Electronic visas (e-Visas) and traditional paper visas, based on your destination.
In addition, we also offer the following services/documents that are required by certain countries: ETA (electronic travel authorization), Tourist Cards, Visa on Arrival pre-registration/approval form, Tourist Invitation Letters, and Embassy Registration service.
Please note most countries offer the ability to process a travel visa without a service fee. The main reason we process thousands of travel visas per month is we save you time and frustration. Our service includes an easy to use website and application form. It is much easier to process your application with us especially for mobile users and large groups. We send all of our clients the visa days before travel. This is especially helpful for those passengers who purchase the visa months in advance. We also have a 24-hour customer service with professionals that are based in the United States and speak English. We accept multi-currencies and our website can be translated into over 20 languages. We believe our fee is worth your time and sanity but please note all governments do have their own "free" service.
If you have already applied on our site, please log in to your account and look for your order/application. An account is generated for you automatically after payment is received. Click the link in your confirmation email to set up a password or visit the log in page to set up the password and enter the account. Please note in most cases your visa will be delivered to you via email and can be found in your account after logging in.
This is a rare scenario. However, if your application gets rejected, we will issue you a full refund for the government fee and the processing fee under our 100% approval guarantee. This refund will be given via credit to be used for a future order.
If you need further assistance, do not hesitate to contact us. Our customer service specialists will be more than glad to help you.
If we have not processed your visa, we can make changes without a problem. We do check your information for mistakes as well. If you have already processed your visa, If we have submitted your application to the appropriate government agencies, some will allow to make changes, while others do not. Please contact us immediately (preferably through chat) if you notice an error on your application.
Some countries may require proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. You can see more info here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list
It's the passenger´s own responsibility to verify these regulations before traveling to the chosen country.
All visas grant travelers the permission to travel to a country's port of entry. Whether you are granted entry or not will be at the discretion of the Immigration Officer at the entry point.
We know that our applicants can come across unexpected changes in their travel plans that may prevent them from traveling and therefore getting their visa. This is why we understand you may want to request a cancellation of your visa application and a credit for the amount paid. However, we will only approve the refund/credit if it follows our Refund policy guideline:
If your application has not been reviewed by our team, nor submitted to the government for approval, then you will receive a credit for the full amount of the iVisa processing fee and government fee(visa cost).
If your application has been reviewed by our team but has not yet been submitted to the government for approval, you will receive a credit for the full amount of the government fee (visa cost).
If your application has been submitted to the government for approval or a visa is already issued, unfortunately, no credit is available.
Our policy also applies to these circumstances:
If we make a mistake on your application, a 100% refund of the iVisa processing fee will be issued and we will process your visa again at no cost.
If you purchase rush or super rush processing additional fee and we do not deliver the travel document within the agreed timeframe, you will receive a credit for the iVisa rush or super rush processing fee.
If you miss your trip because iVisa does not deliver the travel document within the agreed timeframe, you will receive a full cash refund for the government fee and iVisa processing fee.
The exception to the clause above is if the government is the cause of the delay or your arrival date was sooner than our super rush processing time. In such case, you will receive a credit for the iVisa processing fee.
If for any reason, you are not satisfied with our services, please feel free to contact us. Under reasonable circumstances, we will grant a credit of the iVisa processing fee to be used for a future order.
When the visa has to be shipped to you, the processing times do not include this shipping time. It is from when we receive your application to obtaining the approval.
Most visas (e-Visas) are sent via email upon approval so shipping times will not apply.
All citizens from these territories applying through our website will have their application processed with the nationality/citizenship specified in their passport. As an example, a traveler from Puerto Rico will have their request processed as USA nationality. This does not apply to the travelers under the BOTC (British Overseas Territories Citizen) category according to the British Overseas Territories Act of 2002.
